


The Gift

by EmJ93



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 16:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17227217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmJ93/pseuds/EmJ93
Summary: Just a little something I started writing on the run up to Christmas. Ariela has a gift for Aloth, and is uncharacteristically nervous about it. Perhaps it has some kind of deeper meaning.





	The Gift

“I… um, I have something for you.”

Ariela’s gentle voice cut through his thoughts, requesting his attention in an uncharacteristically timid fashion, and Aloth looked up from his grimoire to find her hovering hesitantly in the doorway to his room. He’d been taking advantage of having some space to himself in the inn- something which had been becoming more and more difficult onboard the Defiant with each new addition to the crew- to add a few helpful notations to his spellbook, but he paused in his task and set the quill aside for now to give his lover his full attention. The grimoire wasn’t going anywhere, after all, but he was sure Ariela had better things to do than to spend her night in his doorway.

“Oh?” He queried, unsure as to why she would be so nervous about that. It wasn’t as if she had never given him anything before; enchanted equipment she thought he might make use of, the occasional book she thought he might enjoy. She’d once bought him a particularly comfortable and well-made pair of boots back in the Dyrwood, when she’d noticed that his were starting to become rather worn. 

_Aye, and dinnae forget all the touchin’ and kisses she’s bin giving ye lately, too._

He shook Iselmyr’s thoughts away with a dismissive roll of the eyes, and directed a patient smile at Ariela. “You are welcome to come in, Ari.”

“Right. Yes. Of course.” Ariela moved into the room, closing the door behind her, and crossing towards him. She’d changed since they arrived at the inn, he noticed. Gone now was her adventuring gear, replaced instead with a loose-fitting dress in the same shade of green that she always wore, the skirt of which swished back and forth with each awkward step she took.

“Are you…  _alright_ , Ariela?” It was so unlike her to seem uncomfortable like this. Hesitance was, most assuredly,  _his_  territory, while Ariela had always been so very sure of everything.

“I…” She took a deep breath as she came to a stop beside him, and as she finished exhaling a smile overtook her features, lighting up her face in the most adorable fashion. “ _Yes_. I’m fine. I was feeling a little nervous, but that’s not necessary is it?”

“I’m sure that it is not.” He began to assure, until he suddenly doubted himself, a frown pulling at his features. “…or, well, perhaps it is. You aren’t nervous often, Ariela, if you are now, then I would trust you have a reason to be.”

Ariela chuckled at this, and he felt his concern begin to dissipate. Perhaps she really had been worrying over nothing, as unlikely as that might seem. “No, I was just being ridiculous, Darling. Here,” She quickly dug around in her bag, producing an elegantly wrapped gift from the worn leather bag that was slung over her shoulder. “For you.”

He took the gift from her outstretched hands, eyeing it somewhat suspiciously. She’d never wrapped something that she bought for him before, and why exactly  _was_  she behaving so nervously? Glancing up to find her eyes watching him intently, he frowned once more. “Please don’t think me ungrateful to receive something from you, but… what exactly  _is_  the occasion, Ariela?”

“Oh!” A sheepish look passed over his lover’s face, and he caught a slight blush begin to colour her cheeks. “Sorry, perhaps I should have explained first? When I was still with my family in Aedyr, we had a Winter’s End tradition. As part of the celebrations, we would exchange gifts; nothing lavish, just little things that we thought each other might like. It’s been… a very long time since I took part in those traditions, and they don’t even celebrate the same holidays that we do back in the Empire all of the way out here, but… well, when I realised the date, there was something in the back of my mind that told me I should do something this year. I have you and Vela now, and everything’s so uncertain what with Eothas stomping through the Deadfire, and…”

She trailed off, and he set the gift down on the desk, reaching out to take her hand. He squeezed gently, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand, and gently tugging her closer. She obliged, bending slightly to brush a kiss against his cheek.

“I…” He wasn’t sure exactly how to express to her the sentiment that he wanted to. That he was honored that she had thought of him, that she wanted to include him in the traditions of her family. That he had never exactly had that kind of family before, and was unsure of how to be a part of one, but that he was more than willing to try. For her. “I have never received a gift for Winter’s End before. In all honesty, I hadn’t even realised that that time of year was already upon us, we’ve been so busy with everything else.”

“There  _is_  rather a lot going on right now. And I know I shouldn’t really be devoting energy to something so frivolous when there’s so much depending on me, but I just couldn’t help myself. I don’t think the gift-giving thing is a common practice. But I’ve always thought it was sweet.” She nudged him playfully, happiness twinkling in her eyes, and he found himself wondering, not for the first time, how she could possibly be so beautiful. “Are you going to open it?”

He flashed her a smile, before retrieving the gift. As he began to loosen the ribbon tied beautifully around the parcel, he felt Ariela shift her position, moving to cuddle in to him from behind, her head coming to a rest on his shoulder, and he tilted his head to the side to press a quick kiss to her cheek. Satisfied with her happy hum, he turned his attention back to the gift, turning it onto its side to find the edge of the colourful paper that was wrapped around it, and carefully tearing it to get to whatever was inside. Pulling back the paper he found a thick, leather-bound tome, the next volume in the series of magical theory essay collections that he had been working his way through. 

“You mentioned that you were almost done with the one you’re reading.” Ariela remarked, and he realised that a wide smile had spread across his face.

“I am. How did you manage to find this?”

“Well, it took a few hours of digging through the shelves of The Dark Cupboard, and the help of Eder and Tekehu to keep you distracted.” As soon as she said this, the events of a few days before suddenly became much clearer to him, and it made much more sense as to why she hadn’t made any protest when their companions had insisted on dragging him to the tavern with them, despite his very obvious objections on the matter. “Sorry about that part; I hope they didn’t bother you too much.”

“It’s quite alright.” He assured, running his fingers over the cover of his new book with a smile. “That is, they  _absolutely_  did, but I understand now why. Just please don’t make a habit of asking them to do so.”

Ariela giggled, and the sound was like the most beautiful melody to his ears. “I promise.”

“Good.” Setting the book back down on the desk, he rose from the chair, wrapping his arms around Ariela before she could move too far from him, pulling her close and pouring all of his love into the embrace. “Thank you, Ariela. Though I’m afraid I didn’t get you anything in return.”

“That’s alright.” She murmured, relaxing against his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist and enveloping him in her warmth. “Perhaps you can next year.”

They’d both been clear when they began their relationship that they didn’t know how it would progress; they weren’t certain of what the future held for them, or whether they would remain together for long. They’d avoided any kind of discussion of the future ever since, both content to just enjoy the present, to enjoy being with each other in this moment, but as the words came out of her mouth, his response to her was clear and automatic. 

“Yes, I’m sure I will.”


End file.
